Tribulation, Livgone Rebellion, Manchester 18:02:2025

Tribulation, noun (distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution
also : a trying experience).

Or in this case, we refer to the Swedish heavy metal act of the same name. An act who have expertly crafted elements of gothic rock, alternative, and black metal, bringing this show to stages at all of the major European festivals and further afield! Given the lyrical themes and song titles, ‘Tribulation’ seems like a more fitting band title than any other! To be truthful, I had never listened to a note by the band until venturing into Rebellion, Manchester. Sometimes mystery is good, right? Besides, knowing that the good folk at Tapestry Promotions had curated this show gets an instant seal of approval from me. A show that would still be going ahead on this UK run after others had unfortunately been cancelled, and after scouring social media it seemed that the reasons were unclear as to why.

Upon arriving at Rebellion, there was insight as to why this may have occurred. It was reported that the show here in Manchester had not sold as well as expected hence this may have led to the demise of the other shows. Having been to dozens of shows here, I spied that the usual half of the venue that hosts the main bar, sound desk and merch stand via a short flight of stairs had been blocked off to the public tonight. Had there been an electrical fault, a flood, and hence being a safety measure? Nope, the venue had decided to close this off and bring the merch stand closer to the action and down the stairs, with refreshments available via a smaller bar to the side. As we’d see later, this was actually a smart move! 

After almost an hour after the doors had opened, it was time for opening act Livgone. 

Livgone

Going in blind to gigs is a gamble. Sometimes you find nothing. Sometimes you find gold. I had never set eyes nor ears on Livgone before but this was certainly a fine discovery. Throwing songwriting conventions out of the window and churning out the most experimental and chaotic song structures was bold but totally worked! Forget typical 4/4 beats or conventional 3-chord sequences. The overall compositions were deceptively complex and densely layered with hypnotic baselines and other polyrhythmic patterns laying down the foundations for the melody to take its place in the mix. From gentle and ambient synths, the dynamics and overall intensity could escalate in a matter of seconds and you would find yourself being drenched in a sonic atmospheric onslaught! This was impressive! Yet in all this chaos, the band’s vocalist retained a more subtle and soothing dynamic in her voice, a calming presence and juxtaposition. A similar overall dynamic to post-metal greats Alcest and Julie Christmas. 

What was missing from this set? CONFIDENCE! I wanted to see this and more of a commanding presence as well as some self belief! Or at least having the band introduce themselves. Though surely this will come in due time with more shows like this, and they’ll get eyeballs on their brand for all the right reasons. 

TRIBULATION

Some bands put on a good live show. Tonight, Tribulation took their show to the next level! Whether it was the light show, stage props, or attire, they left no stone unturned in ensuring the visual aspects of their performance was fully optimised on this night. They’re a band who clearly know their sound and how to get the best out of every single instrument. The blazing lead guitars stood out to me, as did the pristine and thunderous drums, with every strike of the kick drum making the fibres of your clothes shake whilst you could truly feel the crack of the snare drum right to your very core. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts and each contributed to a blistering atmospheric and deeply immersive theatrical experience.

Whereas it had reportedly not sold as well as expected, the attendance seemed to be healthy enough with a crowd of at least 100 at this point. Many of which were headbanging along and cheering when their favourite songs were announced to be played hence those in attendance were fully engaged and invested. The decision to essentially close off half of the venue may have worked to foster this by creating a more intimate environment. 

Now, time to blow off a little steam and have an ‘old man yells at cloud’ moment. A 100-minute set seemed a little indulgent. Excessive even. Considering that there was an hour gap between the doors opening and the first band, a half-hour gap between the two bands, and this ultra-long headline set. Considering other shows on the tour had been canceled for alleged poor ticket sales and this had sold less than expected, surely a more efficient show schedule and shaving some time off this set could have created space for a band with a track record of selling tickets within the region to assist. As well as providing an immense opportunity to share the stage with an international touring act such as Tribulation. Though the logistics of tour planning are complex enough without the addition of a third band, hence this may well be an idea that’s better on paper than in practice. 

In either case, the sentiment amongst some in attendance was that Tribulation deserved a bigger crowd. Did the nearby The Devil Wear Prada show steal some of the crowd? Who knows. 

In either case, this was a sound enough first experience of both Tribulation and Livgone and something very different to my usual haunts of post, black, and doom metal. If either or both are in your local area, I would implore you to get a ticket. Make sure you do in advance too in order to instill confidence in promoters and venues in the success of the show.